


Eating Crow

by Lady_of_Rohan



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Noir, Crime Fighting, Crime Scenes, Crimes & Criminals, Detective Noir, Detectives, Film Noir, Gen, Serial Killers, noir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-29
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 23:33:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21607516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_of_Rohan/pseuds/Lady_of_Rohan
Summary: My piece for the Lucian Nights, film noir zine!Detective partners Caelum and Scientia are on the case of Insomnia's latest threat: The Kenny Crow Killer.
Relationships: (IMPLIED), Noctis Lucis Caelum/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Eating Crow

**Author's Note:**

> Since the zine is released, I can post this now! Yayy! Thank you everyone who encouraged me to apply! Noir is one of my great passions in life, and I'm beyond honored to have been in a zine that's so relevant to my interests, with so many incredible creators! 
> 
> This is a 'special' version of the fic, with Cindy's scene added back in! It had to be edited out to accommodate the zine length.

Eating Crow  
By Lady of Rohan  
  


It was a truly _dreadful_ morning, the air stagnant with summer warmth via entrapment by ominous clouds.

Dress shoes clacking against the rain-glistened pavement, Detective Scientia was regrettably without his umbrella. Heavy raindrops pattered against broad shoulders, spattering his suit jacket with inconsistent droplets.

Thankfully, the trip down the block to his partner's abode wasn't far. A lonely old apartment sticking out like a sore thumb among much newer additions.

When he reached his destination, the dampened Detective knocked twice. No answer, but the lock, unsurprisingly, was still broken.

He instantly frowned upon entering his partner's apartment. The filth was practically a biohazard.

Resisting the temptation to tidy up a bit, as time was of the essence, Detective Scientia made his way to Noctis' bedroom, where the man would surely be at this hour.

Approaching the bed, he could hear the light sound of snoring. He nearly tripped over Noctis' discarded shoes as he reached for the blinds on the far wall. Light assaulted the otherwise pitch-black room.

"Good morning," he greeted, over the sound of Noctis' overly-dramatic groans.

"Ignis," Noct said groggily, from beneath the covers, "the hell time is it?"

"Seven-thirty. AM, that is. You should really fix the locking mechanism, Noct. Someone could get in."

The slightly younger man peeked his head out, only scruffy hair and blue eyes apparent.

"Like you?"

"Far worse than I."

"Well, I'm sure you didn't let yourself in to take me out for breakfast, so what gives?"

Noctis uncovered himself, scooting to be seated at the end of the bed as it creaked. Unsurprisingly, he was in his underwear, a common sight, by now.

Ignis reached into his jacket to retrieve the morning newspaper, which had largely been kept dry.

" _This_ is headlining the papers. A bit of an appetite killer."

He flopped the paper down on Noctis' lap, as the other man blearily regarded it. The photo beneath the caption was morbidly familiar, a corpse splayed out near the train tracks, and just barely concealed by nearby foliage.

It read: INSOMNIA'S STREETS UNSAFE, UNREST AMONG CITIZENS

Noctis shook his head. "Seems like were wrong about the killer."

"I'm afraid so. But perhaps we can reshape that trust. I received word of another victim just this morning."

"And the body?"

"Untouched, until we arrive."

"Guess I'll get dressed, then."

"That would be preferable," Ignis teased, "to the rest of Insomnia, at least."

Noctis offered him a smirk, handing the paper back to him before he rose from bed.

Ignis helped out by attempting to retrieve an outfit amidst the hazardous mess. He managed a tie, folding it over as he watched Noctis pull on a pair of black slacks.

Noctis' back was turned to him as he faced the light from the window, taut muscles and pale skin, and Ignis had a clear view of the lengthy scar that marked the half-way mark of Noctis' spine. It had always been there... and he'd certainly viewed it in far less polite positions than he did currently. Still, it was a reminder of what the man had been through.

Stubborn, and one of the many reasons Ignis admired him.

Once in his dress shirt and favored pinstriped vest, Ignis came to stand behind Noctis, worked on tying a pretty windsor. He heard Noctis' breath hitch as his body pressed close, his cheek lingering against the side of his face.

Ignis' hands smoothed it over his partner's chest before Noctis tucked it into his vest. He stepped away, then, as Noctis turned, looking far tidier than he had moments before, though there was discoloration below his baby blues.

His features read as pain.

"Shall I fetch your cane?" Ignis asked, eyeing the gilded object resting in the far corner.

Noctis shrugged, fetching his worn-out fedora from where it was hung over the top of a nearby chair.

"Nah, I've got it."

"You'll limp without it," Ignis said, discerning.

"And people will stare _with it_. Besides, what else do I have you for?" Noctis was near again, linking arms with him.

"Certainly far more than a personal crutch," Ignis scoffed.

Leading him carefully, the two were soon in Ignis' convertible. No top down on such a dreary day, however, as Ignis began the drive across town, towards the river.

It was quiet, both detectives lost in their thoughts, before Noctis spoke up.

"Can you turn the radio on, Specs? This is getting depressing."

Rain pattered against the windshield as Ignis gave a nod, flipping the radio to a tuned station. "Blue Skies" blared to life, the popular jazz standard. Ignis smirked at the irony.

The cityscape soon disappeared, as they reached the outskirts of town. Past the factory district, and towards the country, where fields bloomed freely along the riverside. The colors transformed from greys of skyscrapers and reds of apartments, to lush greens and yellows. Normally quite the lovely sight, but the stormy weather seemed to dull even that.

Down a lonely country road, the partners soon arrived at the scene. Several vehicles were lined up near the embankment, and Ignis noticed a couple of cop cars among the throng. Journalists and curious onlookers were unfortunately something they couldn't altogether avoid.

Parking a bit down the road as they pulled up, Ignis got out of the car first, and Noctis followed.

"Detectives, you're early." A beat cop greeted them as they traversed the tall grass, old Dave and his police dog leashed at his side.

"It was urgent, was it not?" Ignis said, stepping up to the man.

Noctis deflated the tension.

"He dragged me up and promised me food," Noctis quipped. "Where's the victim?"

"Over there, down by the embankment. But we have a witness needs interviewing first, boys."

The two men followed Dave's gaze, and at first glance, saw no one, until a curly-haired woman appeared from behind her pickup truck parked among the crowd of cars. She was standing off to the side, arms crossed, her handbag dangling from one elbow. She looked a bit out of place among the grey skies, in a bright yellow dress and blonde pincurls neatly tucked beneath a firetruck-red felt hat.

Ignis shared a glance with Noctis, before nudging his chin in her direction, indicating that they should be hasty. A smile, despite the grim atmosphere, was given upon approaching. Warm and inviting, in case the woman was shaken from her ordeal.

"Ma'am, might we have a word?" Ignis asked, pulling a leather notebook from his jacket pocket.

"Sure can, Detectives." Her bright red lips, courtesy of makeup, twisted into something resembling a smile, her Southern twang instantly noticeable.

Noctis stood, his own arms crossing as he fidgeted somewhat beside Ignis. "Can you tell us what happened, Miss, uhh...?"

"Aurum. But please, call me Cindy. If it'll help y'all, I'll do my best." The woman heaved a steadying sigh, clutching her purse as Ignis' pen pressed to the open notebook, intently listening.

"He was a regular at me 'n Pa's shop. Name's Jeffrey, Jeff for short. Came to pick up some automobile parts... always on time, that fella. 'Bout half past six, figured I'd deliver 'em myself when he didn't show. But on the way, I noticed his car a ways down the river. Seemed strange, seein' as it wasn't broke down. So I walked until... well, there he was."

The scratching of Ignis' pen paused, after he spent a few long moments copying her story. "Was... the body in the river?"

"No, sir, was just layin' there. I thought he mighta passed out, 'til... well, 'til I saw he wasn't breathin'."

The woman paused, attempting a smile but looking more than a bit torn as she clutched her purse a bit more tightly.

"I mean, I ain't never seen a dead body, before. 'Least... not like that."

"We're terribly sorry you had to witness such an atrocious sight, Miss Aurum. We shall do our best to find the perpetrator. The information you've given us is invaluable. If you're shaken, we can have an officer drive you back into town."

"I reckon I'll be fine, I hope you catch the guy, officers.”

Dainty and polite, she got herself back into her pickup truck. Though Ignis worried, she gave off a strong aura, and she'd composed herself incredibly, given how her morning had began.

"I don't think she's suspicious," Noctis said, once they were out of earshot from Miss Aurum.

"Nor do I. Though, it does give us a timeline."

Rain began pattering again, the dreary mood momentarily interrupted as a flash of blond hair came bounding across the field, thoroughly interrupting.

"Officers!" A high pitch voice met their ears, and Ignis groaned.

"Argentum?" He asked, unenthused, though he saw that Noct was stifling a chuckle.

Prompto Argentum was one of Insomnia's up-and-coming journalists, with a knack for photography. It was frequent that they crossed paths with the man, some among the ICPD nicknaming him "Quicksilver" due to his uncanny ability to be on scene before anyone else had the chance.

Ignis stared him down as the man approached. Though in his thirties, he looked more like a teenager, donning a newsboy cap, and a vest-and-jacket combination that betrayed how slight he truly was. His freckled features were lit up excitedly, bright blue eyes apparent even beneath the shadow of his hat.

"Do ya mind if I take one?" Argentum asked, already pulling out his camera and setting up its stand. "You know, of the detectives keeping our streets safe."

"We haven't kept him safe, have we?" Ignis said, glancing off in the direction of the corpse beneath a protective tarp, and the caution tape surrounding the area.

When Argentum frowned, suddenly fumbling for words, Noctis nudged Ignis' upper arm.

"Ignis, let him take the photo, before his camera gets wet."

"What a shame that would be," Ignis quipped.

Ignis posed, poised, while Noctis purposely tugged his fedora over his eyes. A blinding flash, and the photograph was taken. Seemingly satisfied, uttering his thanks, Argentum was soon scurrying off to the woman they were supposed to be interviewing.

"Let's observe the body, first, before the weather turns," Ignis said.

"Good call."

They carefully tread down towards the river, so as not to slip, arriving at the tarp placed carefully over the body. They knelt down on either side of him, Noctis pulling out his notebook.

Ignis instantly observed the man's face, glazed-over eyes permanently open and slightly bulged.

His fingertips came to the victim's neck, noticing raw, chafed bruising in distinctive patterns.

"Strangulation marks," he said quietly. "Ligature. Rope, most likely."

"He wasn't drowned," Noctis agreed, "so this wasn't a mere dumping site."

"It seems as if whoever did this, wanted him to be found."

Noctis scribbled a few things down, before Ignis noticed that he was staring.

"Ignis... there's... something in his mouth."

"Hrm?"

Before he could ask for elaboration, Noctis was already prying the deceased man's jaw open a bit further, pinching his fingers into his mouth. Though Ignis watched grimly, he was sincerely curious what Noctis had noticed.

What Noctis pulled out made his blood run cold. Ignis' expression grew stern, observing the wet wad in his partner's fingertips.

"Feathers...?"

But not just any feathers. Distinctive, black feathers... like those from a crow.

Could it be...?

_Not again._

"Ignis... it's _him_."

Nodding, Ignis agreed. It had to be, as they had the same modus operandi.

_The Kenny Crow Killer._

Ignis rubbed at his chin, and in the distance, a thunderclap struck, the sky darkening further.

_"Fowl play."_


End file.
